MIAMI (April 2, 2021) – The FIU baseball team got back on track Friday with a pair of thrilling, late-inning victories over the WKU Hilltoppers.
 
FIU will have a chance for the series win on Saturday at Noon, after the 3-2 victory in game one and the 2-1 walk-off in game two on Friday.

Pitching dominated the day, as Panther starters Tyler Myrick and Garrett Rukes each went six innings and allowed a combined three runs in the two games. Myrick struck out five batters in game one, while Rukes set a new-career high with eight punchouts. 
  
Steven Ondina was the only Panther with multiple hits in each game, as the shortstop has now reached safely in 11 straight games. 

Ondina broke up the scoreless tie in game one, as he tripled down the right-field line in the sixth inning before scoring on a Derek Cartaya sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 FIU. The Panthers added two more runs in the sixth after back-to-back doubles from Luis Chavez and Justin Farmer made it 3-0. WKU scored two in the top half of the seventh, before Angel Tiburcio slammed the door shut for his second save of the year. 

Each team scored a run in the first inning of game two, before a pitcher's duel developed with five scoreless frames. Jan Figueroa entered in the seventh to pitch a clean top half of the inning, that would set the table for the eventual Panther walk-off. Adrian Figueroa led off with a double to extend his team-best, 11-game hit streak, before the bases became loaded three batters later for RJ Ibanez.  
 
On a 1-2 count, Ibanez bounced a high chopper over the WKU fielder at third to score Figueroa and give FIU its second walk-off of the year. 
  
 UP NEXT
 FIU will go for the series win on Saturday, as the Panthers and Hilltoppers battle at Noon. 
 
 SOCIAL MEDIA
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